French rail network hit by ‘acts of sabotage’ in latest sign of transport woes for Paris during the Olympics

The attacks also add more pressure to concerns over whether Paris’ transport infrastructure can manage the Olympic crowds.

Officials promised to reinvigorate the transport system after Paris won the Olympic bid.

But, in November 2023, the mayor of Paris said there were parts of the city where “transport will not be ready and there will not be enough trains,” according to French radio network RFI.

However, the system has seen a “significant improvement” in recent months, according to Jimmy Brun, a spokesman for the Parisian transport authorities, per Olympics-focused news outlet Inside the Games.

According to France24, 90% of trains were on time on the Paris Metro in March,

The capital, which has a population of around 2 million, expects 11 million visitors to descend to enjoy the two weeks of games — almost double the number that visited Paris in July and August in 2023, according to the Paris tourism site Paris Je T’aime.

The city’s congested metro system has also been criticized for its lack of accessibility. In 2018, only 3% of Paris’s Metro stations were wheelchair-accessible, according to Bloomberg.

Organizers have arranged for shuttle buses to support people with disabilities.